


We'll Be Okay

by Topographical_Map_Of_Utah



Series: Along Came Baby [13]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Angst, But The Kind That Actually Happens, F/M, Finn Did Not Deserve This, M/M, Modern AU, Mpreg, Multi, Police Brutality, Racism is a Problem, That's The One Good Thing, They're Having Another Kid, Time For Discourse, Trans!Poe Dameron
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-09
Updated: 2016-10-09
Packaged: 2018-08-19 21:57:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8226022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Topographical_Map_Of_Utah/pseuds/Topographical_Map_Of_Utah
Summary: At least Finn hopes they will be.EDIT: Okay so I'm getting a bit of heat for this fic but I feel like I should note that this is based on a terrifying thing that happened within my family. It didn't go this far, thank God, but as a writer of colour I should be allowed to write about my own experiences. If you do have an issue with this fic please leave a comment so I can respond to you personally.





	

A couple days, Poe had said. The baby definitely wouldn't come for another couple days. Finn wasn't sure why he had believed him, considering Poe's track record.

One second they were having a quiet, almost romantic moment, just standing in the kitchen with their arms wrapped around each other, Finn's palms pressed to Poe's baby bump. But that was ruined when Poe jerked and his shoulder nailed Finn in the chin, making him stagger back into the counter. Those must be some pretty intense contractions.

"Sorry, fuck-" Poe muffled a groan, knees buckling. He caught himself and cussed under his breath. "Jesus Christ this kid wants out..."

"We need a swear jar." Finn mumbled, rubbing his jaw. Poe shot him a look before doubling over and letting out a moan, another contraction taking hold. Panic thrilled up Finn's spine and he eased Poe down onto the couch, letting Poe clutch his hand in a vice grip. "Wait, right now?"

"No, next week what the fuck does it look like-" Poe's words cut off in a guttural groan, followed by a litany of curses in English and Spanish both. As an afterthought Finn hopped up and closed Shara's bedroom door. Didn't need the kid to pick up on her Papá's bad habits. "Priorities, huh?"

"Can you blame me?" Finn asked. "I don't think I could handle two potty mouths in the family..." Poe rolled his eyes, getting up and pacing back and forth while Finn ran around getting their things together. His phone rang and he groaned, squeezing it between his ear and his shoulder because his hands were full. "Hey, Kes. Sorry, but-"

"The baby's coming, isn't it?" Kes asked, his voice crackling over the phone. He had flown to New York a week ago, not wanting to be late like he had been when Shara was born. This time he was taking no chances.

"Yup." Finn confirmed, blinking in surprise as he ran down the hallway, his arms overflowing with baby things. "How'd you know?"

"Is it my dad?" Poe called from the other room.

"Yeah." Finn yelled back.

"Tell him to screw off."

"Poe says hi." Finn said, passing on the message. "How'd you know?"

"Had a feeling. I'll be there in a few minutes to take care of Shara. Say, things wouldn't happen to be going unusually fast, would they?"

"How'd you know _that_?" Finn asked, beginning to get exasperated with all of these premonitions.

"The second kid always comes faster for Damerons. A lot faster. My cousin, her youngest popped out in about two hours. Hurts like hell, I've been told."

"Wait, what'd he just say?" Poe demanded, staggering into the bedroom. He snatched the phone from Finn's hand and barked something in Spanish, sparking a conversation that quickly escalated into a high-speed shouting match. To an outsider it would seem like they were arguing, when really this was the equivalent of a friendly chat.

Friendly or not, the noise woke up Shara. She toddled into the living room with her oversized teddybear in her arms, rubbing her eyes and blinking blearily at Finn. "What's going on?" she yawned. Finn herded her back into her bedroom and smoothed down her hair as she crawled back under the blankets. "Did something bad happen?"

"No, we're alright. Go back to sleep, baby-girl. Abuelo's coming over to take care of you soon."

"Where're you and Papá going?" she mumbled into her pillow.

"Out. Sleep, alright?" 

"I need a story to get back to bed." she said petulantly.

"Okay." Finn glanced at his watch and sighed. Poe was still talking on the phone, and they had to wait until Kes got here, anyways. "So once upon a time, not too long ago, actually, there was a family of..." he looked around the room and he ran with the first stuffed animal he laid eyes on. "Foxes. There was a family of foxes who lived in a big tree in the middle of a forest."

"Were there apples on the tree?" Shara asked suddenly.

"Yeah, they lived in a big apple tree."

"Caramel apples?"

"Caramel doesn't grow on trees."

"But apples do."

"Yeah, but not with caramel on them." Finn tried to explain. But he gave in when Shara pouted. "Fine. Well, the foxes lived in a big caramel apple tree in the woods. There were three of them, two big foxes and one little fox, and they all loved each other very much. So one night the two big foxes were curled up in the tree together, eating caramel apples, and..." Finn hesitated, waiting for inspiration to strike. Then the doorbell rang and he nodded, picking up the story again. "Right, so the two big foxes, they heard a knock on the door."

"Where was the little fox?"

"The little fox was asleep, 'cause it was late at night. Well, one of the big foxes opened the door and said hello to the stork that was standing on their welcome mat. But it wasn't just any stork."

"It wasn't?"

"Nope. It was a magical wish-granting stork, who told the big foxes that it was delivering their wish. Now, that confused the foxes, who didn't remember ever wishing for anything. Then the stork reminded them. A long time ago one of them had wished on a star for something special, something all three of the foxes would love. While the stork had been too busy to answer them then, now that it had the time it thought it would be nice. Still, it was a bit of a surprise for the foxes, I mean, they weren't expecting it. They were kind of worried at first, but they knew that everything would be okay in the end."

"How'd they know that?"

"Well, the two big foxes loved each other very much, and they loved the little fox even more, so there couldn't be much harm in having someone else to love, could there?" Shara shook her head and Finn grinned. "Right. Besides, the big foxes wanted the little fox to have somebody to be friends with. They told that to the magical wish-granting stork, who nodded and flew away. I think the stork was going to get what the foxes had wished for, but I'm not sure."

"And did the foxes get what they wished for?" Shara yawned. Finn just shrugged, keeping her in suspense.

"Abuelo's here now. He can tell you the rest of the story." He kissed Shara on the cheek and smiled. "Good night, baby-girl."

"Good night." After giving her one more kiss Finn fluffed up her pillow and rushed out. Poe and Kes were in the living room, Kes rubbing Poe's back and Tuck, Kes' service dog, nuzzling against Poe's leg in a comforting way. 

"Hey, sorry..." Finn began. Poe shook his head and grunted, one hand pressed to his stomach. 

"Hospital. Now." he growled. Finn glanced at Kes, who shrugged and wandered over to the bookshelves, perusing Finn's history books. 

"I'd listen to him, if I were you." Kes said drily. He sat down with a book and Tuck hopped up beside him, curled in a cozy little ball. "Good luck, you two."

"Thanks, Pops." Poe grumbled, letting Finn hoist him to his feet and out the door.

"How're you doing?" Finn asked as he helped Poe along. Understandably, it took awhile for Poe to answer. They were in the elevator by the time he managed to make any noise other than inarticulate grunts. 

"You're getting condoms for Christmas." he finally managed. Finn laughed and let Poe lean against him as the floor numbers flashed by. "Why did I think it was a good idea to do this again?"

"Because babies are cute and squishy?"

"Oh, yeah." Poe was quiet for a bit, then he nudged Finn's ribs and scowled. "So are hamsters. We should've gotten a hamster."

"Bit late for that now, isn't it?" Finn kissed the back of Poe's ear, smiling into his hair. "Don't worry. We're in this together, remember?"

"Easy for you to say." Poe grunted, but he smiled when Finn nuzzled against his neck. "No running away?"

"No running away." Finn confirmed. He took Poe's hand and squeezed, a sunshine grin lighting up his face. "Promise."  

 

\----------

 

Fuck. Finn groaned and dropped his forehead onto the steering wheel, watching the red and blue lights pulsing behind them. Fuck, fuck, fuck.

"I wasn't speeding, was I?" Finn asked, looking at Poe in the rearview mirror. He was texting, the glow from the screen lighting up his drawn, sweaty face. "The sirens started while we were at a stop light..."

"You weren't-" Poe winced and dropped his phone, whimpering when he tried to pick it up. Trembling, he pressed a hand to his stomach and tried not to gag. "Calm down, buddy. We'll be fine..." Poe winced and looked up at Finn, eyebrows furrowed. "Right?"

"'Course we will." Finn promised. Then he heard a tap on the window and rolled it down, shivering as an icy gust of wind breezed into the car. 

"Step out of the car." That's all the cop said. No preamble, no chance for Finn to explain. As he did what he was bid Finn snuck a glance at Poe, who had curled up and quieted down, breath coming in shallow pants. For Poe's sake Finn knew he should argue, knew that there was no probable cause for arrest and that clearly, the cop was in the wrong. But at the same time he knew something else, something awful and unfair that made it okay for the cop to do this and criminal for Finn to protest.  

The cop had Finn turn around, place his hands on the car roof and stand with his legs shoulder width apart. Finn hadn't had a chance to throw on a jacket, and he was freezing in his singlet. But he kept his arms up, goosebumps prickling under his skin as the cop patted him down.

"Any particular reason you're out tonight?" The cop asked, sounding disappointed that he hadn't found any contraband.

"I'm sorry officer, but there's an emergency." Finn was about to start explaining, but something held him back. If he told the truth, they wouldn't believe him, but if he lied, he'd get in even more shit for it. "Please, I know it sound strange, but my husband's in labour and we need-"

The cop gave Finn a funny look before peeking in the back seat, staring at Poe like a zoo exhibit. When he turned back to Finn his face had turned red and his hand was on his holster.

"This some type of sick joke?" he demanded. His partner hopped out of the squad car, going to stand by the door to the backseat, as though making sure Poe wouldn't try and make a break for it. "Think you're real funny, huh? On your knees, hands in the air."

Finn obeyed without question, heart drumming in his chest. This was going downhill fast, but so long as he stayed compliant, so long as he played along, they would be okay. Just keep his hands up and his eyes on the concrete. That's all he had to do. Then Poe cried out and Finn whipped his head around on instinct. That was a mistake.

Without warning Finn found himself being yanked backwards and thrown facedown on the street, a sharp pain shooting up his bad shoulder. He let out a groan and the breath was punched out of his chest by what felt like a boot. Poe's situation was no better.

"Get out of the car. Get out of the car!" The other cop was yelling. Finn struggled up onto his elbows, shaking his head and pleading.

"Officer, please, he can't..." That just earned him another kick to the ribs. Finn wheezed, blinking the spots out of his eyes. He could taste the dull tang of blood in his mouth, bits of gravel cracking against his teeth. There was nothing for him to do but watch this play out, every second feeling like a ton of bricks on his chest.

Poe stumbled out of the car, arms clutched around his stomach. The cop standing above him was yelling, ordering him to put his hands up in the air. Poe was trying, he really was, but the baby was coming and his eyes were glazed and God, please don't let him get hurt, Finn prayed. Through it all Finn forced himself to stay down, forced himself to stay out of it. If he got involved it would only get worse.

And then he saw the baton.

Before Finn's brain caught up with him he was up and between Poe and the cop, the strike cracking across his shoulder instead of Poe's stomach. Well, that was a marginal improvement. There was a second as Finn stumbled and fell when he got a good look at the cop. His eyes were feral, hands shaking on the gun he was pointing straight at Finn's face. Wait, when did that get there?

It happened too quickly for Finn to process. Someone shoved him, then there was a bang and something struck his shoulder with a sharp sting. He yelled and slid down the side of the car, leaving a red streak on the window. He stared at it for a second, then his eyes widened and he realised where all the blood was coming from.

As shock settled in everything slowed down, sight, sound, touch, pulling Finn away from the present, away from the bullet wound in his shoulder. Poe seemed to be shouting at him from across a football field, his arm was throbbing two hundred miles away. What did register properly to Finn was an awful, sticky warmth spreading across his chest. That might be blood, but Finn didn't quite know.

The commotion had drawn people out of their apartments, their protests and shrieks drowning out the cops yelling for backup in their radios. But all Finn could manage to understand was the searing pain in his arm and Poe's voice in his ear. "Finn? Hey, stay with me. You're gonna be okay, baby."

Wait, baby? Poe was having a baby. Shouldn't he be at the hospital? Trying to follow that train of thought Finn struggled to his feet, only to be knocked down again and struck in the chin. "Get back on the ground!" Finn tilted his head, blinking and trying to connect the harsh voice to the blue uniform to the pain in his jaw. "Get back on the ground or I will be forced to open fire!"

 _We're gonna die here._  Finn thought, staring numbly as the gun blurred back into focus. _All three of us are gonna die here._

But they didn't. All of a sudden Finn heard familiar voices rising over the din, sharp bursts and exclamations, accompanied by the stamp and clatter of several pairs of feet. Rey stepped into his hazy field of vision first, Jess and Ben at her heels. Seeing them, finally Finn allowed himself to close his eyes and buckle, to let his body hit the bloody pavement with a decisive thud. Those three could take over. But Poe was having none of that.

"No, no, Finn you have to stay awake, buddy, you have to- Hey!" Poe cut off in a sharp cry and Finn's eyes startled open again, fearing the worst and almost sobbing when he realised things might just be alright.

"Whoa, Dameron, take it easy-" That was Ben, who was struggling to drag Poe off of Finn, trying not to be too rough with the guy. Poe had no such qualms, though. 

"Get you hands off me! Finn, dammit, you have to help Finn!" Trying his best to ignore Poe's plaintive cries Finn locked eyes with Rey and jerked his head towards Poe, giving her a pretty clear signal. She nodded and rushed over to help her brother restrain him. He was a wreck, thrashing and yelling for all he was worth. That couldn't be good for the baby.

"Poe, don't-" As he raised his head Finn caught another blow to the chin and crumpled, spitting up blood. But he kept his eyes open, kept hoping against hope that at least two of them would make it out alright. Jess, sure to keep herself between Poe and the cop, was trying to explain why they had to let Poe go. She was also trembling, keeping her fists clenched to her sides and trying not to raise her voice.  

Poe was shaking his head the whole time, protesting and arguing and then just pleading with Rey and Ben. They held fast. Then as Poe strained to break their hold his water burst and he sagged in their arms, face screwed up in pain. Jess rushed to help, shooting a pleading look over her shoulder at the cop. Convinced and sickened, he took a step back and waved them off, his lip twisted in disgust. Despite it all Finn let out a sob of relief. Poe was okay, which meant the baby was okay, which meant Finn was okay with whatever happened to himself. Although believing that got pretty hard over the next little while.

He was made to lay facedown on the ground, hands out in front of him. He let the cops kick him, cuff him, slam his bloody arm against the squad car when he dared to wince. What Finn didn't do was look away from Poe. He was in tears by the time Rey and Ben wrestled him, kicking and screaming, into the backseat of Jess' van. Finn could feel his heart breaking, but he didn't once look away, because there was a very real possibility of them never seeing each other again.

If Finn's voice were working he would have called out, would have assured Poe that he was going to be okay, that he'd be there when the baby was born, that they'd do this together. But he just stayed limp, bleeding out on the hood of the squad car, watching through his tears as the van turned the corner and disappeared. He hadn't said a word. It hurt too much to talk, and besides, Finn couldn't bring himself to lie.

 

\----------

 

"Calm down, Poe. You're scaring the baby." Kalonia soothed. But even her composure was showing a couple cracks. Poe gripped the rails on the side of his bed tighter and took a deep breath, hearing the baby's heart monitor beeping madly at his side. Finn. Finn would calm him down. But he wasn't here and Poe couldn't understand why that was and Finn should be here and...

Blood. God, there had been so much blood.

Poe had shoved Finn out of the way right before the cop pulled the trigger on him. It hadn't been a question of if the bastard would shoot, only when. What had tipped Poe off was the look in his eyes, the look of a man who was aiming to kill. Too many times on a battlefield Poe had come face to face with that look, but somehow it was worse when there was somebody else between him and the muzzle.

His last good look at Finn had been of him silent, ashen-faced, and scared. He hid it well, but Poe knew that look, like a deer caught in headlights, paralyzed and doomed. Another contraction gripped him and Poe screamed, trembling when it passed.

No, that's not what he needed to think about right now. There had to be a better reason for Finn not being here. Finn was at work. That was it. Finn was at work but he'd be back soon. Just you wait. He'd burst through those doors, apologising and explaining and smelling like a campfire. He'd take Poe's hand and squeeze, urging him to focus, concentrate. And with his help Poe would be able to do anything.

But those doors stayed shut, and as the pains got worse Poe stopped waiting, distracted by the fact that his guts seemed to have been turned into molten lava.

By the time they had arrived at the hospital it was too late for Poe to get an epidural, too late for him to do anything but curse and moan through wave after wave of contractions. As soon as one ended he was caught up in the build of another one, so there was no break for his heart to slow or his limbs to stop shaking.

He wanted Finn, he wanted his mom, he wanted somebody, anybody, to hold his hand and tell him that it would be okay. Somebody to tell him that the pain wasn't going to last forever, because right now it seemed like his whole world had collapsed into nothing but how badly he was hurting and that damned heart monitor. When Shara was born Poe had wished Finn was a million miles away, but now, right now he'd take a lifetime of this if it meant having Finn's hand in his.

All of a sudden there was a break, the vice grip on his insides released. Poe collapsed as people rushed around his bed, voices sharp and quick. Something had happened, and Finn wasn't here to tell him what. All he knew was that the heart monitor was going crazy and everyone was running and the baby must be exhausted, must have given up. Poe smoothed a shaky hand up under his hospital gown, rubbing the wet, burning skin, feeling the outline of a knee, an elbow, so close to being here, and so close to being gone.

No one said anything to him, so he talked to the baby instead.  _Calm down, it's alright. Your dad will be here soon. Calm down, buddy._ Not for the first time Poe wished he was a better liar. He didn't know when Finn would be here, if he ever came at all. Better to remember something, a memory of Finn that was whole and sure, nothing like the hell they found themselves in right now.

They went to museums a lot, whenever their days off lined up and it was Finn's turn to choose date night. While Finn pored over exhibits and diagrams, babbling about how such-and-such a formation would have won Napoleon that battle, Poe watched his husband as discreetly as possible.

A couple things stood out to Poe. The particular smile that spread across Finn's face when he remembered an obscure fact, the way he laughed just a bit too loudly in the otherwise quiet halls. That laugh stuck around for a long time, echoing off of pillars and buttresses. Poe closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Good, Poe. Now _push_." Kalonia's voice pulled him out of the memory and Poe yelled again, pain slicing through his body, his abdomen like a tin can being crushed by an invisible fist. Fuck Finn for doing this to him. But he retracted the thought a second later, his eyes filling with tears. No, no, he didn't mean it. Finn should have been here, should have had the chance to be here and meet his kid.

"One more push, Poe. One more push, I promise."

There was a solid minute of pressure and burning and Poe just crying, wanting to go home, wanting so badly for this to be over. And then it was. The wailing baby kicked him in the thigh and Poe sobbed, flopping back onto the mattress with a shuddering gasp.

"It's a boy, Poe. A healthy little boy." Kalonia assured him. Poe opened an eye, watching her towel off the baby and hand it to him, watching her do what Finn should have done. He couldn't hold it against her, though. And then, of course, Poe's gaze rested on the baby himself, his wrinkled hands and scrunched up eyes, downy head and butterball limbs. Poe's lips trembled, looking at the tiny miracle Kalonia had just laid in his arms.

"Hi, little guy." he said quietly as the baby began to pat around his chest. When he figured it out and started to suckle Poe sighed in relief. Okay, the kid was okay. More than okay. Perfect, the spitting image of Finn. A sob worked itself halfway up Poe's throat, but he was too drained to cry. So all he did was cuddle the kid a bit closer and close his eyes, listening to the hushed chatter of the nurses, the footsteps in the hall, and the heart monitor beeping steadily in the corner. 

 

\-----------

 

The clock ticking in the hall was infuriating, mostly because even though Finn could hear it, he had no clue how long he'd been stuck in this damned cell. There was probably some irony in there, but Finn was in no mood to find it. 

Three hours ago he had been booked and locked in a holding cell. No phone call, no questions, just a mugshot, fingerprints, and a baton to the nose. Blood was still dripping down his face, leaking into his mouth. To quite literally add insult to injury they had chained him to the bench. Like a mad dog, he thought, or a monster out of a horror movie.

Finn shifted his right arm and winced, looking down at his bloody shoulder. By some miracle the bullet had only grazed him. Hurt like a bitch, but Poe had pushed him out of further harm's way. Finn would have to thank him for that later, then he would have to yell at him for putting himself and the baby in danger.

Had he protected them? Finn wasn't sure he had. It had all spiralled out of his control so quickly, and he had been left behind with nothing but anger, hot and coiled in the pit of his stomach. But he couldn't show it. People would think this whole mess was his fault if he showed it.

He heard footsteps outside and stiffened, trying not to fidget and above all else trying not to scowl. He had to look like he didn't want to wring the neck of the son of a bitch who had dragged him here. "Dameron? You have a phone call." Finn looked up at the cop poking a phone at him through the bars. He got to his feet and took it, cursing his fingers for trembling as he sat back down.  

"Hello?" Finn ventured.

"It's a boy." Rey's voice was soft, softer than Finn thought it could be. He slumped against the cell wall and took a deep breath, holding back tears as Rey went on. "Seven pounds, five ounces. Poe says he's got your eyes."

"Does he know I'm not..."

"I told him. I'm not sure if he heard, though. Seemed pretty out of it. They're both asleep, now."

"Is the baby okay?" Finn asked.

"Yeah. He's okay. A little on the quiet side, but he's holding his own. He's so cute, Finn. Just wait until you get to meet him. Are Mom and Dad there yet?"

"They're coming here? Why?"

"To get you out, dummy. Why else? Did you think we were gonna let you rot?" Rey demanded. Finn smirked and rolled his eyes. Now this was the Rey he knew. "You'll be out soon, okay?"

"Okay. See you soon." When he hung up the cop took the phone and opened the cell door, cuffing Finn and grabbing him by the arm. He heard voices down the hall, coming from the small room he was being brought to.

"He's being charged with aggravated assault and resisting arrest, correct? And what were the grounds for pulling them over?" 

"Suspicious activity."

"Can you clarify, officer? They were just driving, weren't they?" When he walked inside Finn could see that Leia was sitting at a table and talking to the cop that had pulled Finn over, her voice modulated and even, doing a good job of hiding the fact that she was pissed. Finn tuned out of their conversation and rubbed his eyes, trying really hard to keep them open. Han noticed and swatted Finn's good arm, getting his attention. 

"You alright, kid?" Finn shrugged and Han glared at the other cop, the one who had pulled the trigger. "See? He needs a hospital, dammit. The hell kind of operation you running? Resisting arrest, my ass. At least twelve witnesses have got a different story. Hey, you got a dash cam, don't you?" Han asked suddenly, turning to Finn. He nodded and Han jabbed his finger triumphantly at the cop. When Han started pointing at people that meant he was really ticked off. "There. Add that to the witnesses and we got ourselves a case against you."

"Are you threatening a police officer, sir?" 

"No, I'm stating a fact. You arresting the guy for tryin' to protect somebody constitutes a false arrest. And the kid's been shot, for Chrissake. He needs a hospital anyways..."

Finn sat perfectly still, listening quietly to the negotiations taking place on his behalf. He had a feeling his two cents wouldn't be appreciated, anyways. It took another few minutes of back and forth for any progress to be made. Eventually bail was set, and the cop unlocked the cuffs around Finn's wrists. Wincing, Finn rubbed the tingling skin, still trying not to scowl. He'd been doing that for so long that his lips were twitching.

"Am I free to go, officer?" he asked. The cop jerked his head in a dismissive nod and Finn let out a deep breath. "Thank you."

Christ, he'd just thanked the man who'd tried to kill him. Ignoring the vomit curdling in the back of his throat Finn nodded and ducked out of the room behind Leia and Han. It was all he could do not to fly at the bastard. But Finn held down his rage, telling himself that he was alive, that he was lucky.

Wow, lucky. That shouldn't be the word for this situation.

 

\------------

 

"How's your arm?" Leia asked as she tucked the first-aid kit back under the driver's seat. Finn rubbed his newly bandaged shoulder and winced, but he tried for a smile when he turned to Leia.

"Could be better." he admitted. Everything could be better, to be honest. His whole body felt like it had been run through a clothes wringer. "Thank you, though. Did you see Poe?"

"The kids stuck around at the hospital, kept an eye on him." Han looked at them in the rearview mirror, a scowl on his face. "Last I checked Ben said he was fine, the kid too." At a red light he turned around, giving Finn a once-over. "But you're a different story. Your jaw okay?"

"Just a few bruises. And I bit my tongue, I think. That's where all the blood was coming from."

"Your nose?" Leia asked.

"It'll be fine." Finn poked the tender skin and shrugged. The adrenaline that had been numbing the pain had begun to wear off, but the one thing on his mind was still the baby he hadn't gotten to meet yet. "Hey, how much was bail? Thanks for getting me out, by the way."

"Don't mention it." Han grumbled. He saw Finn opening his mouth to protest and glanced over his shoulder, shooting him a look. "No, don't mention it. If you talk about what just happened I'm gonna puke."

"Hey, eyes on the road, flyboy. You're gonna hit an ambulance." Leia kicked the back of Han's seat and turned back to Finn as they pulled into the hospital parking lot. "What he's trying to say is that we're just glad you're okay. We'll have to talk about this eventually, but for now don't worry, alright?" 

"Alright. Thanks for the ride. I'll phone you guys later." Finn said as he clambered out of the car and limped over to the hospital entrance. Rey was in the lobby, pacing and biting her fingernails. When she saw him she ran up and pulled him close, squeezing a bit too tightly. Finn just closed his eyes and hugged back.

"You're okay." she whispered into his neck. "You're okay..."

Finn nodded and kissed her forehead. "Yeah, I'm okay. How'd you find us?" Rey pulled out her phone and handed it to Finn, letting him read the message Poe had sent her and her brother.

TROUBLE. CORNER OF ALLEN AND DELANCEY. DON'T CALL COPS.

"Must've figured we would need backup." Finn sighed and handed back the phone. That explained why Poe had been texting when they got pulled over. Seems that from the get-go he had known that this wouldn't go their way. Made you wonder. "Can I see him?"

"No. You're not allowed to see your own husband and newborn child." Rey rolled her eyes and dragged Finn down the hall towards the maternity ward. "C'mon."

Ben was sitting on a bench outside of Poe's room, a bloody ice pack pressed to his nose. Jess was slumped beside him, snoring and using his shoulder as a headrest. He nodded absently at Finn and got to his feet, letting Jess flop over and jerk awake. 

"Asshole." Jess groaned, rubbing her eyes. 

"Fuck off. I'm an invalid." Ben grumbled, watching Rey take his spot on the bench. "Hey, Finn."

"Hey." Finn nodded at Ben's nose and screwed up his face. "Did Poe do that?"

"Good left hook." He cracked his jaw and winced. "Congrats, by the way."

"Thanks." That reminded him. The baby. He'd finally get to see the baby. But he hesitated, looking at the closed door. "D'you think he's mad at me?"

"Why would he be mad at you? Oh, by the way," Rey whistled as she dug into her backpack, which Jess was using as a pillow. After a few minutes she pulled out a slightly squished box and thrust it into Finn's hands, smiling. "You said this was his favourite, right? Now go on." She pecked him on the cheek and pushed him inside, closing the door behind him. 

The room was quiet and antiseptic, the only noise coming from the monitors sitting in the corner, beeping with a pulsing, steady rhythm. That probably meant everything was fine. After nudging the cupcake onto the bedside table and washing up Finn sat down on the side of Poe's cot with a yawn, squirming on the thin mattress. What he wouldn't give to be curled up in their bed right now, Shara nestled against his side, and the new baby a warm ball between him and Poe. He really had to suggest they do that as soon as they got home.

Poe was asleep, light from the sunrise slanting across his face, and a tiny green bundle of blankets clutched to his chest. Being as gentle as possible Finn smoothed his thumb over the kid's cheek and watched as he blinked and yawned himself awake. Bald as an egg, with skin a couple shades darker than Shara's and lashes so long it was a wonder they didn't get tangled when he blinked. Here he was, after everything that had happened, here was Shara's little brother.

"Hi." Finn whispered hoarsely, letting the baby suck on his pinky. His vision blurred with tears and he wiped his eyes as quickly as possible. The toothless pink grin, the uncoordinated silk of the kid's grasp, the seeking eyes that never strayed far from home. How had he forgotten what having a baby felt like? It had gone by so quickly the first time, and Finn hadn't had the chance to miss it.

"Sorry I'm late, little guy. Got held up. But I'm here now." The baby just smiled at him, which Finn took as an apology accepted. "I dunno if anyone's told you yet, but I'm your Dad. The madman you've been leeching off of for the past nine months is your Papá. He's awesome. You have a sister, too. Shara. You'll meet her really soon."

For some reason Finn's voice cracked, looking at his son. His son who looked just like him, who already had his nose and eyes and skin like polished mahogany. While Finn mulled that over Poe shifted in his sleep with a soft sigh. Without really thinking about it Finn leant down and pressed their lips together, ignoring the salt of Poe's tears and sweat. When he felt Poe beginning to stir Finn ran his fingers through Poe's damp curls and pulled him closer, helping cradle the baby with his free arm.

"Finn?" Poe breathed, letting Finn pull away and press another kiss to his forehead. "I'm high off something right now, aren't I?"

"Nope. Stone cold sober." Finn traced the bags under Poe's eyes and sighed. "They had me sent over here to get looked at. Bail, court date, don't worry about it."

"Whenever you say 'don't worry about it' I immediately start to worry about it." Poe mumbled, echoing what Finn usually said to him. The baby whined and squirmed, quieting down while Poe fed him. Finn rested his cheek on Poe's shoulder and sighed as he watched the baby's face. "Just warning you now, little buddy. Your Dad's trouble. You have to keep an eye on him, alright?" Poe said, addressing the baby. Finn rolled his eyes and snorted, adjusting Poe's blanket.  

"Don't listen to your Papá. He's the irresponsible one, here." he countered, shaking his head. The baby squeaked in agreement and Finn smiled, looking up at Poe. "Hey, he kinda looks like me." he decided, watching the baby wriggle as it nursed.

"He does, doesn't he?" Laughing a bit, Poe bounced the baby in his arms, then he felt something wet on his shoulders and glanced at Finn, the tears that had begun dripping down his cheeks. It broke his heart, but Poe knew what this was about. Well, he was pretty sure. Tentative, he reached out and smoothed a hand up Finn's arm, but that only made him cry harder. "Oh, sweetheart..."  

"I didn't do anything wrong." Finn choked out, letting Poe pull him closer. "I'm sorry..." Without finishing the thought Finn buried his face in Poe's collar and sobbed, every feeling in the book spilling out of him, staining the front of Poe's hospital gown. He felt Poe's arm close around his shoulders and shuddered. "I thought I was gonna lose you guys."

"I thought I was gonna lose you." Poe said quietly. There wasn't much else to say, so he just held Finn tight and whispered softly into his hair. "But you shouldn't be sorry. You kept us safe, Finn. I dunno how you managed it, but you did. What happened wasn't fair. I know it wasn't fair, but you're alive and that's what matters, alright? You didn't run away. You kept your promise. You shouldn't be sorry."  

Finn could tell when Poe was lying. Anyone could, to be honest. The guy was an open book. But right now he wasn't fidgeting, and he was looking Finn head on, the corners of his eyes crinkled in a soft smile. He believed what he was saying, and wanted Finn to believe it, too.

"You think so?" Finn asked quietly, wiping his nose. Poe nodded, his eyes a little misty. Finn ran his thumb over Poe's cheek, but he shook him off and tried for a little laugh.

"I'm just glad to see you." Nodding, Finn pulled Poe closer and kissed him on the forehead. "So's the little guy. Hi, buddy." Poe grinned at the baby, who had pulled away and yawned. "Hey, I named the last one. Seems only fair that you get to choose this time."

"Aiden?" Finn ventured. Poe nodded and smiled. 

"Yeah, Aiden's a good name." Poe kissed the soft spot on the top of Aiden's head and smiled. "You okay with that, little buddy?" When the baby didn't protest Poe nodded and grinned at Finn. That brightened Finn's day a little bit. "Looks like we're in agreement."

"Daddy! Papá!" All of a sudden Shara's voice rang out in the hall, her footsteps squeaking as she ran up to their door. Poe yawned and nuzzled against Finn's chest with a soft sigh.

"In here, Shara. Quiet down, would you?" he sighed, his eyes fluttering shut. By the time Shara ran in and hopped up beside Finn, Poe was already asleep, and the baby with him. Finn raised a finger to his lips and Shara did the same, her eyes drifting to the baby.

"Is that..." she said, voice airy with wonder. Finn nodded and pulled her into his lap. "Really?" 

"That's him. His name's Aiden. Go on and say hello." When Shara hesitated Finn laughed and took her hand, gently placing it on the top of Aiden's head. "Go on."

"Hi, Aiden." Shara pat the top of his head, looking up to smile at Finn. "He's so little. Like a dolly." she said softly. Finn smirked and ruffled her hair. "He'll get bigger, right?"

"'Course, kiddo. Just like how you got bigger."

"Was I this little?"

"Yup. Hard to believe, huh?" Finn laughed, tugging at the bandages poking out over the collar of his shirt. Shara noticed and nudged his elbow, brows furrowed.

"What happened to your arm?" she asked. 

"Oh, I got hurt." he said vaguely. After considering it for a second Shara sat up and kissed his shoulder, pulling away with a satisfied smile on her face.

"There. You're all better." she announced, snuggling down into Finn's arms. He grinned and pulled her closer, repositioning the baby's head when he started to fuss. "You're okay now, right, Daddy?"

"Yeah, I'll be okay." Finn promised, kissing Shara on the cheek. He ran his fingers through Poe's hair and sighed. "We'll all be okay." 

**Author's Note:**

> I have to post the next fic soon because no way in hell am i staying at unlucky 13 for long.


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